A theoretical system does not merely state facts which have been observed and that logically deducible relations to other facts which have also been observed.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

Among those who are satisfactory in this respect it is desirable to have represented as great a diversity of intellectual tradition, social milieu and personal character as possible.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

But the fact a person denies that he is theorising is no reason for taking him at his word and failing to investigate what implicit theory is involved in his statements.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

Empirical interest will be in the facts so far as they are relevant to the solution of these problems.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

From all this it follows what the general character of the problem of the development of a body of scientific knowledge is, in so far as it depends on elements internal to science itself.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

If there are four equations and only three variables, and no one of the equations is derivable from the others by algebraic manipulation then there is another variable missing.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

It is probably safe to say that all the changes of factual knowledge which have led to the relativity theory, resulting in a very great theoretical development, are completely trivial from any point of view except their relevance to the structure of a theoretical system.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

It is that of increasing knowledge of empirical fact, intimately combined with changing interpretations of this body of fact - hence changing general statements about it - and, not least, a changing a structure of the theoretical system.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

Now obviously the propositions of the system have reference to matters of empirical fact; if they did not, they could have no claim to be called scientific.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

Special emphasis should be laid on this intimate interrelation of general statements about empirical fact with the logical elements and structure of theoretical systems.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

Spencer's god was Evolution, sometimes also called Progress.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

The conception that, instead of this, contemporary society is at or near a turning point is very prominent in the views of a school of social scientists who, though they are still comparatively few, are getting more and more of a hearing.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

The functions of the family in a highly differentiated society are not to be interpreted as functions directly on behalf of the society, but on behalf of personality.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

The implications of these considerations justify the statement that all empirically verifiable knowledge even the commonsense knowledge of everyday life - involves implicitly, if not explicitly, systematic theory in this sense.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

The importance of certain problems concerning the facts will be inherent in the structure of the system.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

The main concern of the study is with the outline of a theoretical system. Its minor variations from writer to writer are not a matter of concern to this analysis.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

The system becomes logically closed when each of the logical implications which can be derived from any one proposition within the system finds its statement in another proposition in the same system.
- Talcott Parsons Quote

Theory not only formulates what we know but also tells us what we want to know, that is, the questions to which an answer is needed.
- Talcott Parsons Quote